WhatsApp starts counting backup against Google Drive storage

WhatsApp chat backups have now started taking up storage space on Google Drive for Android users.

WhatsApp now takes up storage space on your Google account. (Image Source: Pixabay)

WhatsApp, the Meta-owned instant messaging platform used by billions worldwide updated its terms and conditions last year and announced that chat backups will start counting towards a user’s Google Drive storage space sometime in the first half of 2024.

As it turns out, Android users using WhatsApp are already bearing the brunt as chat backups have started occupying storage space irrespective of whether you are on the free or paid tier of Google’s cloud storage service.

In case you don’t want your chat backups to take up the entirety of your Google Drive storage space, you can stop backing up chats to the cloud service and instead use the built-in WhatsApp Chat Transfer tool when moving to a new phone.

Keep in mind that this requires both the new and old phone to be on the same Wi-Fi network and does not require an active internet connection.

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WhatsApp chat backups now take up storage on Google Drive. (Express Photo)

Alternatively, you can buy more storage space on Google Drive by subscribing to a Google One plan or opt to not include images and videos when backing up WhatsApp chat history as they might bloat your backup size by a lot.

The changes apply to those on the stable version of the app and will get an in-app notification 30 days prior as a banner in the ‘Chat Backup’ that appears in the app setting’s Chat section.